Harris: Campbell Too Passive

Having alternately defended and chastised Elden Campbell, Laker Coach Del Harris on Tuesday night again stopped short of saying he is close to benching his starting power forward but also made clear his displeasure at Campbell’s recent play and a preference for backup Travis Knight.

That much might have been obvious from the playing time--Knight was in the game for 28 minutes in the victory over the Dallas Mavericks and Campbell 18, giving the rookie a 90-48 edge the last three games.

Beyond that, though, Harris chastised Campbell because the loss of minutes has come from a lack of intensity.

“He’s just not playing well right now,” Harris said. “He’s not playing aggressive enough. But he’s getting his opportunities. Anybody playing 18 minutes is contributing.

“He’s in a slump. When you have a guy like Shaq [O’Neal], you need a shotgun rider. He needs somebody to ride beside and protect. Play tough defense, muscle on the boards, get easy baskets. Similar to what Travis Knight has been doing, except with no muscle.

“Elden’s just going to have to play better. What comes first is not playing time. Production comes first, then the playing time.”

Campbell, averaging 31.2 minutes, the fewest of any of the four usual starters, admits he is frustrated by the decline in time.

“Yeah,” he said. “But, you know. I’ve still got a job.”

For the time being. Robert Horry went into the starting lineup Sunday, so Harris is not anxious to make another move with the Lakers having won 13 of 16, noting “It ain’t broke, so there’s no need fixing it.”

But Harris was also quick to remind of his comment Friday night, after Knight grabbed 15 rebounds against Golden State, that “Seniority only goes so far.”

Said Campbell, aware that early foul trouble, not just Knight, is sending him to the bench: “I think I’ve been coming out a little quick. Once that happens, it starts the ball rolling.”

Exactly to where remains to be seen.

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Joe Kleine played five minutes against the Mavericks, the most since being acquired along with Horry.

“It was fun,” said Kleine, who got a brief stint in the third quarter and then another at the start of the fourth when the Laker lead was in the low teens.

“It was just nice to play. Nice to play when it’s not in garbage time. Close. We were putting the garbage in the trash bags and getting ready to put it in the trash compactor, but it wasn’t all garbage yet.”

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Chris Gatling, the Mavericks’ leading scorer and rebounder, on his suspension without pay from Tuesday’s game for leaving a team practice: “I know what I did was wrong. I was just frustrated.”